Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 3/4/2010

Question
hello,
I have an 1855 coin that says napoleon 111 empereur on the front and the reversehas an eagle with arrows in its talons and a capital b under its talons below the arrows. the coin is worn more on the back where you can barely make out the words but the picture is good. any info would be helpful.
thank you

Answer
Hi again,
This is a bronze coin from France, depicting Napoleon III, who was the nephew of the original Napoleon.
There are 4 denominations that have this date and mint mark (B = Rouen mint). The denomination will be written below the eagle and mint mark, but often gets worn.
You may see part of it... either "un" (1), "deux" (2), "cinq" (5) or "dix" (10) centimes. The value for the 2, 5 and 10 centimes coins would be minimal in the condition described, no more than $3. The 1 centime, which would be a very tiny coin, is more scarce and would start at $10-$15 even in rough shape.
If you cannot read the denomination, you can also look at the size. Tiny coin (smaller than a US dime) is a 1 centime, penny sized coin is 2 centimes, a little bigger than quarter sized coin is 5 centimes and about the size of a half dollar is a 10 centimes.
Thanks again! =)